Steel Wagons

In addition to the wooden hopper wagons the railway also has some steel hopper wagons in preservation. The steel hopper wagons were first introduced to the railway in 1952. The first of these wagons were of a 13 ton capacity and were of a similar size to the Ordinaries. The first batch of 150 wagons were supplied by Charles Roberts & Co. Ltd of Wakefield and were numbered from 6001 to 6150. In 1954 another 180 wagons numbered from 6251 to 6340 and 6461 to 6550 were ordered.

© Bowes Railway
 Wagon N^o 6005

Two years later came the first 21 ton wagons from Charles Roberts. These were numbered from 6551 to 6650. Several of these wagons were loaned to Derwenthaugh in 1958. In 1963 only a few were returned - the rest were kept by Derwenthaugh who sent some wooden wagons to replace the steel wagons they kept. In 1960 a batch of ten 21 ton wagons were loaned to Norwood Coke Works in Gateshead. These were returned after five months. The 21 ton wagons only worked between Wardley and Jarrow; because of their size they could not work on the inclines. The exception to this was that they could use the Springwell Incline to gain access to Springwell Shops for repairs.

© Charles Roberts and Co Ltd
Wagon 6610

Charles Roberts had produced a 14 ton wagon based on the original 13 ton design and between 1957 and 1960 the railway received 335 of these wagons which were numbered in different series - 6701 to 6890, 6956 to 7081, 7084 to 7087, 7115 to 7130, and 7141 to 7150. These were the last batch of new wagons purchased by the railway. Of these wagons N^os 6972 and 6977 have been preserved.

Wagon 6977

Other steel wagons of the 21 ton variety came to the railway from other lines as and when they were no longer required at their original locations.

This page last updated 30 March 2008